Journey Back to Caem
by interstellarpirate
Summary: Noctis struggles with his grief upon losing the one most precious to him. In time, he learns he has the love, support, and encouragement of his friends, his brothers, his family. This story focuses on the importance of the friendships Noct has with Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, Iris and Talcott, and to show he has them to lean on through his grief. (Contains spoilers for FFXV)


_**The Journey Back to Caem**_

The prince leaned against the dock's railing there at the Walls of Water where their boat that would take them back home awaited them. They had left the Leville awhile ago, but he had went on ahead of his friends, who were currently helping a newly blind Ignis move through the people to get to where Noctis was waiting for them. Noctis hadn't meant to be rude, but he just needed some time to himself, and the last thing he wanted was to be bombarded by people in the streets asking him questions, and so he moved quickly, warping to his destination. In fact, he craved some alone time to gather his myriad of thoughts, and because he didn't think he could handle the sympathetic looks he kept getting from everyone much longer. They were really getting to him. The events of the days previous flashed behind his eyes, and Noctis raised a finger and thumb, holding the bridge of his nose. He couldn't seem to shake the images from the core of his mind.

They appeared over and over again. The images of Leviathan and his battle with the mighty sea goddess, the images of Luna's wedding dress in the window of the store, and the people gathered around it almost as if it were a vigil. They were seeing it as a symbol of peace and Noctis recalled Gladio telling him that after they tied up loose ends, they needed to make it happen and become that symbol of the peace for the people. Noctis didn't say anything, but as soon as Gladio mentioned them still getting married, Noctis had wanted nothing more in that very moment, but he was too shy and reserved to openly state that. It wasn't happening now, though... Luna was gone.

Noctis remembered so clearly on that day, her speech, her words steeled and strong with a promise of light restored, had moved him to tears. The way the crowed cheered in her name. The way her aquamarine eyes sparkled with determination, her golden hair shone in the rays of the Altissia sun. The way the skies darkened, the massive waves from the Tidemother's wrath casting it's stinging spray over them. A truly weakened and injured prince from his battle, unable to move, who could only lay there and watch as his beloved fiancee was ruthlessly stabbed in the stomach by the Chancellor of Niflheim, and not a shred of remorse on his face. Luna promising she would watch over him always before sending a sylleblossom containing the Ring of Lucii toward him, just everything. It wasn't going away. It wasn't letting go, and the grief was still too fresh and near.

Noctis swallowed hard against a lump that had slowly been building in his throat as he stared down at the crystal clear water below, sloshing gently just underneath him, and he heard the footsteps of his friends approaching. He didn't bother lifting his head. He could hear Prompto and Gladio speaking quietly to Ignis as they helped guide the blind man along the deck. "C'mon, Noct. It's time to head back to Caem," came Gladio's gruff voice who had turned around to face the prince. "Cid's got the boat ready. Let's go." Noctis didn't speak a word. He didn't honestly want to move. His body felt weakened, and he was just exhausted. His emotions, his mourning, had taken it's toll and drained his energy, had depleted his drive to move forward, but nevertheless, he pushed himself up and followed silently behind his friends, their hearts all heavy, but none so heavy as his own. They approached the boat, where Cid sat at the helm, waiting on the boys to board the boat.

"Everyone all in?" the old man's gravelly voice resounded, and Gladio gave him a nod before approaching Prompto to help ease Ignis carefully onto a seat in the boat.

"We're good, Cid. Thank you," replied Ignis and the motor of the boat began rumbling underneath them. Noctis took a seat by himself at the very back of the speedboat, whereas Prompto, Ignis and Gladio all sat together to keep an eye on their friend, and in truth, Noctis was grateful. He wanted to be by himself. He wished there had been a place on the boat where he could have disappeared, a small room, something. He was doing all he could to hold back his emotions and not lose his composure in front of his friends, but it was proving to be a true struggle.

As the boat pulled out from Altissia, Noctis glanced back and looked at the city once more. The memories he'd made there weren't happy ones. They weren't memories of things he'd want to truly cherish. They weren't pleasant, and if he could turn the time back and change everything that had happened, he would in a heartbeat. His vision became increasingly distorted as he kept his head inclined back, before the city on the water was nothing but a giant blur to him. His eyes burned, his throat tightened, and Noctis turned his body in his seat, in hopes that nobody would see him. He lowered his head, cupping his hand over his eyes and finally let a few tears fall silently. The pain in his chest was so crippling that it was all he could do to keep himself from reaching up and grabbing at it.

Not long after that, he heard footsteps coming his way, and Noctis attempted to sniff back tears, and rub them away before anyone noticed, and that's when he saw a familiar pair of black boots. "Noct? You okay, buddy?" came Prompto's voice, but Noctis did not raise his head, and he didn't dare open his mouth. He wasn't sure if he could even speak right now, much less wanted to. "W-well, okay then...," the blond gunman stammered. "If there's anything you need o-or-"

"Let him be, boy," came Cid's reprimanding voice but more gentle than usual, and Noctis heard Prompto's short gasp of surprise before sighing, dropping his hands at his side and moving back to the front of the boat with the others. As much as Noctis appreciated Prompto's attempt to comfort him, he was grateful for Cid telling him to let him be. He just needed to be alone, and on a small speedboat surrounded by four other guys, it was difficult to do just that. Noctis finally decided to lay down across the seat with his back to the front of the boat. He drew his knees up, and lay his head against his arm as more tears stung at his eyelids. Noct couldn't hold it back, and let himself weep as silently as possible in hopes that nobody would hear him. He didn't want them to know he had cried the whole trip back to Caem, and before long he found himself drifting off into an uneasy sleep. At least sleep could take away his pain for just a little while.

The prince felt like he'd only been asleep for maybe five minutes before Gladio was shaking him awake. "Rise and shine, Your Highness. We're back," his voice sounded rough and drained in Noct's ear, and he opened up bleary eyes. The prince stood up and followed the rest of them off the boat, up the stairs of the lighthouse and back to the little house there in Caem. Stepping outside, he noticed that the sun was setting now and night was nearing. Noctis contemplated on just how long he'd been asleep on the boat. It had been morning when they left, and now it was nearing nightfall. Noctis gazed upward at the first stars beginning to twinkle at him in the sky, along with the brilliant light of the moon beginning to show, and his heart clenched hard in his chest. _Luna..._ He was torn from his thoughts as a surprised shrill resounded from the house nearby.

"Gladdy! Noct! Everyone! You're back!" came the familiar female voice of Iris, Gladio's younger sister. She raced up to them in greeting. Noctis just kept his head lowered as they approached the house. "Oh... Ignis... what happened to your eyes? We heard all about what went down in Altissia, but nothing more than just the battle the Empire waged and the wrath of Leviathan? Is everything alright? Did Noct receive the blessing? Where is Lady Lunafreya? Isn't she with you guys? I thought for sure you'd be bringing her back."

Noct's breath caught in his throat at the mention of Luna's name, and he walked right past Iris and a very anxious Talcott who was now racing down the front porch stairs to greet them as well. "Prince Noctis!" the young man cried out to the prince, but Noctis didn't want to stay and talk. If he had to be surrounded by even more people at that moment, he didn't know how much more he could take until he just fell apart, and nobody would want to see their king fall apart in front of them.

On top of that, he didn't think he could handle discussing Luna at the moment at all with anyone. If there was one thing that would send him over the edge was talking about Luna and what happened to her. He just wanted to get away from people and be alone. He didn't want them to be burdened by his suffering, and so Noctis brushed quickly past the boy, not looking at him or speaking a word to him either. He made it inside of the house, and thank goodness, Monica or Dustin were not in the kitchen to stop him. The prince climbed up the stairs and hurriedly went into the room he'd been staying in, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the door, pressing his head back against it and closing his eyes, breathing deep as he was finally alone... and yet he felt guilt for wanting to be alone, but in truth, he needed it. "I'm sorry, everyone..."

* * *

"Noct!?" Iris called out to him, shocked as the prince disappeared inside of the house, and she titled her head in confusion. "Gladdy...," the dark haired girl turned toward her older brother. "What's wrong with Noct? He seems upset... he's not himself at all. Gladdy... what... what happened in Altissia? Why isn't Lady Lunafreya with you guys?" Iris questioned carefully, and Gladio just sighed heavily, before Iris felt a gloved hand rest on top of her shoulder. She gazed up at Ignis, her heart aching for his wounded eyes. "Ignis..."

"Iris... Lady Lunafreya is... no longer with us. Tragically, she lost her life during the battle with Leviathan in Altissia. Noctis is grieving for her, hence his silence. He just needs some time to understand why everything happened the way that it did, so let's leave him be for now."

Gladio folded his tattooed arms across his chest, and nodded his head solemnly. "Ignis is right, Iris. Noct means no harm to you or Talcott. He just needs some space, and when he's feeling better, he'll come around."

Prompto bowed his head solemnly. "We're all sad that Lady Lunafreya is gone... but Noct is probably the one person who is taking it the hardest. He'd probably kill me if I told you this, but he cried the whole way back to Caem til he finally fell asleep. He probably figured nobody noticed... Let's just leave him alone, and he'll come talk to us when he's ready. "

Tears filled Iris' brown eyes as she clutched a fist to her chest. "Poor Noct... I can't even imagine... I understand though. We'll be there for him when he's ready. We'll be there to comfort and support him through all of this. We'll do whatever we can to help ease his pain." She gazed up at the house through blurry eyes. "I hope Lady Lunafreya is resting in peace..."

"Uh... um," came a voice from beside her and Iris turned around spotting Talcott looking unsettled and worried. "Is... is Prince Noctis okay?"

Iris crouched down, and placed her hands on Talcott's shoulders. "Oh, Talcott... He's not right now, but he will be. You see, Noctis lost someone special to him when he was in Altissia. Very special. Do you remember when we lost your grandpa, Talcott? How hard that was, and still is, for us and for you especially?" Talcott nodded his head, pursing his lips and clutching his small hands into fists. "Well, that just happened to Noctis. Lady Lunafreya, the Oracle, was very special and very important to him. She died, Talcott, and now he just needs some time to himself."

Talcott dropped his brown head. "Oh... yeah. I understand... Poor Prince Noctis... I hope he's going to be okay."

Prompto got down on one knee in front of the boy alongside Iris and placed a hand on his arm. "Not too long ago, Noct also lost his dad, King Regis too. So he's lost two people he loved very much in a short amount of time, you know?"

Iris closed her eyes at Prompto's words, realizing just how much pain the prince might actually be in, and it was probably deeper and heavier than anything they could be feeling. "Talcott, do you remember how sad you felt when Jared, your grandpa, passed away?" Iris asked the boy who looked up at her with sad and concerned eyes. He nodded his head. "Well, Noctis is probably feeling just like you did, if not a little more. He lost two people he loved very much very close together. So that's why we just need to leave him be for awhile, and wait for him to come to us."

The boy sighed sadly, gazing up at the house. "I... I understand. I think... I think I'm gonna go to bed. I'm just really tired now." He rubbed at his eyes and turned away from Iris and the others.

Iris rose to her feet. "Poor thing. He knows how Noct is feeling, but there's really nothing he could do to help. Right now... I don't think there's anything any of us could do for him..." Iris felt a large, tattooed arm over her shoulders pulling her into a hug, and she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. The dark-haired girl turned and buried her face in her older brother's chest and wept.

* * *

Talcott carried himself up the front porch steps, his feet feeling heavier than usual and he walked across the kitchen, making his way to the set of stairs that led to his room, that was right next to the prince's room. He heard a faint sound coming from Noct's room, and Talcott stopped at his door, placing an ear against it listening. He wasn't sure, but he thought he could hear the sobbing. Very muffled sobbing nonetheless, but it was obvious that's what it was. Talcott felt his heart begin racing, and it leapt into his throat. He remembered how Prince Noctis had comforted him when his grandfather was killed by the Imperial Army, and he wanted to do the same for him. Talcott started to raise a hand to the doorknob, but pulled back, and instead raced back down the stairs. Iris, Gladio, Ignis and Prompto were slowly making their way toward the house, when Talcott flung open the front door.

"Iris!" the boy cried out as he went running to her. "Iris! It's... it's Prince Noctis! He's..."

"Whoa, calm down, Talcott. What's wrong with Noctis?" Iris put her hands on his shoulders again in attempt to calm the boy, whom was clearly distressed about something. "Is he alright?"

"No, I mean... I don't think so, it's just... when I was walking past his room, I could hear him, and... I think he might be crying," the boy looked up at Iris with overly worried eyes. "I just... I mean if he is, shouldn't he not be alone? Can't we help him?"

Iris just sighed sadly, her heart sinking down into her stomach, before ruffling his hair. "Well, he probably is, and if he is, we need to just leave him be. If he needs us, he'll come to us, okay?" She attempted to reassure the boy, but Talcott was not convinced. Even though he should do as he was told, Talcott absolutely did not want to. He wanted to go and sit by the prince's side and make him feel better, just like Noctis had done for him after his grandpa died. Maybe he would later...

Noctis sat on the edge of the bed, clutching his and Luna's shared notebook in his hands. The one Umbra had left behind for him in Altissia. He wanted to open it just to double check, just to make for certain that there was nothing he missed, the smallest shred of hope, and yet at the same time, he didn't know if he could bring himself to go through years of pages and memories. The prince swallowed hard, and let out a shaking breath, and with trembling hands, he opened the book to the first page. He ran his fingers down the words he'd written to Luna.

* * *

 _"Luna, we're back in Lucis and safe. The empire hasn't tried to get us yet, but it's just not the same. Everyone is acting strange. I'm sad... and scared. I'm lonely too. Dad is constantly gone, and when I do get to see him, he just seems so tired and different. I hope it's not anything I did. I miss you, Luna. I hope you write back soon."_

 _"Noctis, I hope Umbra and the book find you well. I'm sorry it took me awhile to respond. Every since the Empire has taken over Tenebrae, we're under constant Imperial watch. I've ascended as Oracle been sent for my training now that my mother has passed on. I'm not sure if you heard the news about that. The Imperial Army took her life when they took over Tenebrae. The manor is still the most protected place we can be, but they're always keeping an eye on me. I'm not allowed outside of the province. I'm sure King Regis is trying to keep your kingdom safe which is why he's so busy and tired all of the time, and that it's nothing you did. Don't worry. I miss you, too. Be well, Noctis."_

Noctis flipped through more pages before he came to rest on an entry of when he was in high school. The memory of he and Prompto seeing the King on a television screen flickered in his mind. It was the first time he'd ever seen his father use a cane.

 _"Hey Luna. Sorry it took me so long to write back. I've been super busy cramming for finals. Prompto tries to be a bad influence by dragging me to the arcade when I should be studying. So, listen... the other day, I was out and I saw on one of the TV screens, that my dad is using a cane now... and Luna. He's never used a cane before, and he looked so much older... and weaker. Ignis mentioned to me that he's losing the ability to summon weapons too... Everyone keeps saying that I'm up next to be king, but Luna. I don't want to think about my dad dying... It scares the hell out of me. Anyway, I hope you're doing well. I've heard stories of how people make trips to Tenebrae just to see the Oracle for healing. I think what you do is amazing, Luna."_

 _"Noctis, I hope this message finds you in good health. I wouldn't fret about King Regis too much. I'm sure he's just starting to feel his age a little, so don't worry. I don't think your father will die anytime soon. Just cherish any moments that you can get with him. Sometimes it's all we can do. Hold onto those memories and honor them. I'm doing well. As I've said before, my blood is true, and if people seek me out and need to come to me for peace, for healing, or to relieve their pain or their sorrows, they know I'm there, and if they are unable to reach me, I will go to them. Someday soon, my beloved Noctis, I hope that I am able to come to you."_

Noctis lay his fingertips over her words, and his hand clenched in a fist. "Why," he whispered out in a shaky breath. "Why weren't we ever able to just come to each other, Luna?" He continued flipping through the pages, coming across various photos he'd sent Luna of himself and Prompto, or himself and Ignis, or himself and Gladio or of him and all three of the boys, and some even of just himself when Luna asked for one. He also came across photos of Luna with Gentiana or Pryna and Umbra, or just of her by herself that she had sent just for him. "I miss you so much... why were we only allowed so little time together?" His throat tightened and his chest ached, as he continued flipping through the pages... and he came to Luna's final message.

 _"Waiting for you in Altissia..."_

He flipped past his last message to her.

 _"Be there as soon as I can."_

Noctis hesitated before turning the page and finding it blank. He flipped through all of the blank pages until he finally came to the very last page of the book. A sylleblossom attached to it just like the first page, was all the trace that was left of his beloved Luna. His breath hitched, hard, and he let out a sob, the image of the flower on the last page becoming blurred and distorted due to the warm water welling in his eyes. He allowed his fingertips to trace over the sylleblossom, and this time he didn't try to fight against the anvil of emotions slamming him back and forth. He was alone, nobody was coming in, nobody was checking on him, and so he hung his head and cried. He mourned hard for her, letting his tears roll down his cheeks and fall one right after the other, hitting the last page of the book. He could hear her final words to him echoing in his head. " _Look to the distance. Know that I am there, and that I watch over you always. Farewell, dear Noctis."_

"I'm so sorry, Luna. I was the one who was supposed to look after you, and... I couldn't. I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you..." Noctis squeezed his light blue eyes shut in attempt to stem the flow of the salty water, and he raised his wrist and rubbed it over his eyes, but every time he tried, they just kept coming, and so he let them. He lost the battle with his emotions, and so he sat hunched over the book, much like he had back in Altissia when learning of her death and lamented and grieved for her. After while when the prince was sure he had no tears left to shed, Noctis took several deep breaths, attempting to calm himself down, not noticing the tear stains on the last page of his and Luna's book, he closed it's pages and tucked it away. "Guess I should try and sleep," Noctis breathed, sounding like he had a bad head cold, and he lay down in the bed, on top of the covers, rolling over onto his side, his back facing the door, and hoped that nobody would come in.

Noctis dozed in and out of restless sleep. He found himself jerking awake often, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. It seemed almost every time he closed his eyes, he would see the Chancellor stabbing Luna right in front of his eyes, and sneering demonically. He would hear Ardyn's words, echoing through his head like a constant nightmare on repeat. _"Oh, Prince! Your bride awaits!"_ Noctis rubbed his hands over his face, and his fingers through his hair in attempt to quell the awful images. Finally, everything was silent and dark. He gazed out of the window, wondering how he would ever be able to sleep properly again. His thoughts were interrupted by the knob to his door slowly turning, and Noctis lay perfectly still and silent. The footsteps were small and light, and the prince wondered if it were either Iris or Talcott. He heard something clatter as it was sat down on the nightstand.

"Umm, Prince Noctis?" whispered a small voice behind him, that he instantly recognized as Talcott's. "I uh, brought you something to eat and drink just in case you get hungry later. I know you haven't eaten anything in awhile. The others told me. So, yeah. It's there if you need it." Talcott tapped the prince on the shoulder, but Noctis did not roll over. Instead, he kept his eyes closed tightly, and his jaw set tight teeth clenching.

"Listen, Prince Noctis. I know that I might only be a kid, but I just wanted you to know that I'll be there for you too, just like you were for me when Grandpa died." Noctis felt a small hand close over the top his shoulder and squeeze it. "I know what you feel like right now, Prince Noctis. I know it hurts real bad, right in the middle of your chest, and it just won't go away." Noctis held his breath, afraid that if he breathed out he might start crying again. There was this young child here doing all he could to help Noctis, showing him he wasn't alone and that he understood, a young child showing him compassion, and it was almost more than the prince could bear.

"Anyway, I'll leave you alone now. I hope you feel better in the morning, Prince Noctis. Goodnight." The boy left the room and Noctis finally let out the long, shaky breath he'd been holding in, and his eyes burned again. Frustrated, he blinked them away and placed his the crook over his elbow over his eyes, blocking out the moonlight shining through his bedroom window, and wondered just when the seemingly endless flow of tears would stop.

Noctis took deep breaths in and out slowly, listening to the sounds of his breathing, and taking in the quiet atmosphere around him, allowing himself to relax his body, and he could feel his head sinking into the pillows underneath him, and soon, very soon, he drifted off into a deep sleep. A sleep that he couldn't help but dream. He dreamed of her. He dreamed of Altissia. He dreamed of everything going as planned. He dreamed of receiving Leviathan's blessing. He dreamed of taking Luna into his arms and holding her close. He dreamed of breathing in her scent. He dreamed of hearing her laughter, her eyes dancing and lips turned up into a beautiful smile. He dreamed of her wearing her wedding dress, of his brothers standing up with him, of Gentiana at Luna's side standing up with her, of the crowd of people cheering as the two become husband and wife, king and queen of Lucis. He dreamed of caressing her cheek, of pulling her in for a tender kiss, and then... out of nowhere, he could see the blood seeping and staining her stomach, the sound of her pained cry as the sharp metal pierced her delicate flesh, and there was Ardyn, standing in front of him with a bloodied dagger in his hands laughing cruelly, and Noctis screaming. The dream had turned into a nightmare of bloodshed and despair.

Noctis awoke with a start, gasping hard, sweat and tears covering his face. He reached up to wipe away the moisture and sat up in bed. "I can't do this... I'm so tired of crying. I don't want this." It was morning, daylight now. He could hear birds singing and chirping happily in the branches of the trees just outside his window. Noctis rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He was a disheveled mess. His eyes were rimmed red and puffy from crying so much and lack of adequate sleep. His hair was everywhere, his face pale and his features exhausted. He turned the water faucet on splashing cold water over his face in attempt to clear it up just a bit, and he ran his damp fingers through his spiked tresses until he was satisfied with it, and left the room. He opened the door and began walking down the stairs. He couldn't mistake the smell of breakfast cooking, and he heard voices as he gazed over at the table. Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, Iris and Talcott were all seated at the table talking.

So, Noctis gathered himself up and made his way over to the kitchen table, where everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. He hurriedly dropped his head. "I'm... sorry guys..., I just...," he mumbled out an apology, unable to bring himself to look at them. He really didn't want everyone seeing the state he was in, but there was no helping it he supposed, and he thought back to Cid's words. _"You need to realize just what you mean to the boys by your side. Even if they can't solve your problems, you can't hide what's goin' on from 'em. It hurts like hell. Remember, those ain't your bodyguards, they're your brothers. Trust in 'em. Always."_ Noctis raised a hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. He just honestly didn't know what to say or how to say it, and the last thing he wanted to do was burden everyone with his own suffering when they were having a hard time in their own way as well. Particularly Ignis.

"Noct!" cried out Iris as she lept up from her chair and went running to the prince, throwing her arms around his waist and stunning him. "You have nothing to be sorry for, so don't apologize, okay? We all understand. We're you're friends. That's what we're here for."

Prompto held his hand up in agreement. "Iris is right, Noct. Just because you're going through a hard time doesn't mean you have to apologize for anything you might be feeling. We totally get it. We may not really fully understand what exactly you're feeling, but we get it, bro."

Ignis nodded his head. "Yes, Noct. We're here for you, regardless of certain circumstances, and we'll be here for you as long as you need us. We will you help you through your grief and your struggles, so long as you let us. We will remain at your side, if that's what you wish of us."

Gladio folded his arms and gave a short nod. "Call on us if you need it. Remember what I told you before? When you can't focus, I focus for you, so don't forget that, okay?"

"We're all here for you, Prince Noctis. We care about you, and we just want you to feel better. We want to see you smile again," Talcott added on, and Iris released Noctis from around the waist looking at him.

"I...," Noctis stammered out, before finally raising his head to look at all of them in front of him. His heart panged when his eyes fell on Ignis' wounds, and they all had small smiles on their faces, all nodding their heads in agreement. "I just...," he replied a very small, fragile smile on his own face that crumbled quickly before lowering his head once more, unable to find the right words to convey his feelings. "Thank you... All of you."

* * *

 _And in the coming weeks, Noctis would come to realize his struggle was harder than anyone realized. Prompto, Ignis and Gladio treated him as normally as possible, but the pain in his heart was greater than anything he could ever imagine and it drained him. It drained of him energy, of the desire to do anything, until he felt like just an empty shell of what he was before Altissia. There were days he did not get out of bed. There were days when all he did was sleep, days where all he'd want to do was cry, but couldn't. Not with everyone around him._

 _Noctis knew he was setting them back, but losing Luna is what finally sent him spiraling in a real depression he never thought would grip him so tightly within it's clutches. He appreciated the comfort and support of his friends. The occasional hug, back rub or shoulder squeeze and such. He truly did. He just didn't know how to express it. And he wasn't ignorant to anyone else's suffering. He knew Ignis struggled with the injuries from the battle and the loss of his vision. So, the last thing the prince wanted to do was burden his friends with his own suffering, and instead he choose to close up inside of him and not speak a word of his pain. It would be easier for him, for everyone._

 _He struggled with the enormous weight that Ring of the Lucii lay on him. Every time he took it out of his pocket and held it in his gloved hand, the overwhelming power of it, the memory of Luna, so strong and fresh took hold, and Noctis found himself unable to even so much as look at it for long before he stuffed it back into his pocket, almost fearing what it would do to him if he put it on. Merely holding it caused him enough pain as it were. Noctis and his entourage drove, traveled, for weeks. They camped at nearby havens or stayed motels and caravans, never speaking much beyond the occasional word here and there. Ignis insisted on still attempting to cook with the aid of Prompto, and at times Noct would offer to help, but for the most part, he'd go off on his own at times, with Gladio protesting loudly and Noct ignoring him._

 _He'd come back dirty and bloody, raising concern from the others, but Noct would wave a hand and show it wasn't his blood, and would retreat back into himself again. Nothing could assuage his suffering... not hunting, not battling daemons, not solitude, nothing... and so he just existed. Finally, they had reached a point where they could no longer travel by car and had to take a train. Noctis could tell Gladio was getting frustrated with him, but refused to say anything, and he felt bad for this, but he just couldn't lay the weight of his suffering on his friends. So, Noctis, despite his lack of desire to keep going and despite the pain and constant reminders of Luna, pushed onward, just like a king would. He had stops to make. Cartanica and Tenebrae, and Noctis hoped with all his heart that he would find some sort of solace and peace in Tenebrae..._

~End


End file.
